


Strawberry Cordial

by soft_girl_musings



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Apprentice Backstory, Backstory, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Female Apprentice (The Arcana), Fluff, Mountain man, Named Apprentice (The Arcana), Romance, Slice of Life, give this man some gd love and affection, he's so worth it, magical gf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:07:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25010620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soft_girl_musings/pseuds/soft_girl_musings
Summary: (Previously titled "Frankincense and Myrrh")A soft vignette of our mountain man and the Apprentice trying something new, because he really does deserve nice things.
Relationships: Apprentice & Muriel (The Arcana), Apprentice/Muriel (The Arcana), Muriel (The Arcana)/Original Character(s), Muriel (The Arcana)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 29





	Strawberry Cordial

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT: I decided to take this ship a step further and create a whole story arc for my Apprentice and Muriel (feat. others you know and love). So consider this a prologue. Stay tuned for the new and improved "Frankincense and Myrrh"!

"Muriel! Open up!"

The jingling of my gold bracelets mingles with the echo of my knocks falling on each syllable. If I was in town, I wouldn't dare be this obnoxious. Especially during the lunch hour, where hungry eyes from the street would be on me.This is what he gets for living out here, I suppose.

I mindlessly tap the door for what feels like ages, taking in the scenery. As distant as he is from my shop, I can't be too miffed with having to come so far from the rest of Vesuvia. While I love my bright and busy district, it can't compare to the serenity of the forest. Muriel definitely has the sweeter deal.

I stop knocking when I realize my hand hadn't hit hard wood, but a muscled chest.

"....Tamar."

My name settles in the air like a sack of rocks. Muriel stands at the entrance of his hut, staring at my fist resting just below his shoulder. I snatch it away. My earlier confidence escapes me and I look straight down. Has the dirt always been this interesting?

"....Come in, I guess." He moves away from the door, taking my bags and setting them by the table. I see chipped wood litter the floor, loose shavings carried by the breeze. I reach down and pick up what looks like a small wooden tail brushed aside, and realization dawns on me.

"Oh Muriel, I'm sorry. Did I make you do this?" He had tried to hide the botched wolf figurine under a cloth, but I pick it up and hold both pieces to my chest.

Muriel shakes his head and walks over to me, taking the wood from my hands. "It's just wood, Tamar." As if to prove his point, he goes to the fireplace and drops the splintered animal into the flames. "Burns the same as anything else. I just wasn't expecting you for another hour, so you... startled me." He trails off and pats my shoulder. His form of forgiveness.

I shake off my disappointment and grab my cloth bag in one hand, his arm in another. "If I'd set out any later, you wouldn't be able to enjoy what I've brought you! Have you eaten lunch yet?" He shakes his head.

When he's seated, I dump the contents of my bag onto the table. Bad move. Produce of all shapes and sizes tumbles out, rolling to every edge of the table and scattering on the floor. I scramble to collect it all. "Sorry! Sorry!" I shove each piece into Muriel's hands until the floor is clear. "I should have thought that through. But anyway! I brought you a present!"

"....Fruit?"

"Yes! Fruit! I remembered how much you enjoyed the food at the Masquerade, and I thought we could experiment with some fruits to find your new favorite!" I explain as I fill a bowl with water and bring it to the table. "Do you want to try anything in particular?"

Muriel picks up a bruised banana by the stem. "This one."

I hide my grimace as best I can and slice the banana in half. I hand him the less browned piece and watch him take a bite. "How is it?"

"....Tastes like banana."

He finishes the fruit and drops the peel, seemingly unamused. This whole experiment seemed more exciting in my head. I shake myself internally. This isn't about me. It's about him.

"I'll choose the next one... oh!" I squeal and grab a honey mango. "This should be good! They're in season, so it's ripened to perfection." My fingers perform a chef's kiss, earning a smirk in return.

I rinse the mango, split it in half, and we both tuck in. I slurp mine noisily. Golden juice dribbles down both our chins and I have to giggle. "Look at us, like a couple of kids." Muriel catches himself and wipes his face, turning as red as the grapes next to him.

"...It's really sweet."

We pass the time splitting different fruits and talking about the mundane details of our week. Afternoons like this make me thankful to have someone like Muriel around, especially since he's warmed up to me. Our silence is no longer uncomfortable, and our conversation flows as well as I'd imagine for a hermit and an amnesiac.

As we continue, I make a list of our discoveries. Muriel enjoyed the strawberries, kiwi, and dragon fruit. He was on the fence about the banana and melon. Mangoes were too sweet, and raspberries made him feel like he'd licked moss (his words, surprisingly enough). 

I feel a bit bloated after eating so much. We need to balance it out. "I don't know about you, but I need some tea." I get up and search for the kettle I'd stored somewhere in the hut. How I ever convinced him to let me keep things in his home, I have no idea. I find it by the chicken feed. A place of honor, I joke to myself. 

I take the kettle outside to draw water. A few moments pass before Muriel calls out:

"This one's good."

I go back inside and stop myself from shrieking with laughter. This man had taken a large bite from a lemon and was chewing contentedly, rind and all.

"The... lemon?" I stare in disbelief.

"Yeah. Tastes good." He goes for another bite but stops, studying my face. "Was I... supposed to peel it?"

I smile warmly and shake my head. "I was going to make lemon ginger tea, but your idea works, too." I peel and dice the ginger, adding it to the kettle over the fire. "Oh! I almost forgot my other gift!" Scrambling back to the table, I pull out a corked jug and two glasses. I fill one with a generous helping of bright red beverage. 

"What's this?" Muriel eyes the glass, sniffing the sticky-sweet drink inside.

I pour myself a glass and sit down. "Strawberry cordial. My Aunt told me it was my mother's recipe. I've had the strawberries steeping for months--"

"--Sounds too special to waste on me." Muriel decidedly places his glass down across the table. 

"...After I mixed them with the vodka I swiped from Julian last spring." I slide the glass back toward him. There's no hiding the glint of amusement I catch in his eyes.

Muriel takes the too-small glass in his hands once more, taps the ridge of his on my own, and we take our first sips in tandem. He gags a little, but downs the whole thing in one go. I set mine down, brows furrowed.

"I... may have been too eager with the vodka. It's not every day I get to one-up Julian, but... I think I overindulged." I smack my lips, trying to rid the medicinal taste from my tongue. "...Sorry." 

Leave it to me to screw up yet another part of today. Red-faced and embarrassed, I move to put the bottle of cordial back in my bag, but Muriel catches my hand as I pass. He's smiling up at me, a warm, subtle grin that reaches his green eyes and makes them shine like the sea. My heart skips a beat.

"Thank you, Tamar."

His smile is so genuine and pure it coaxes my face to mirror his. He pulls me down onto his lap and wraps both arms around my waist. I nudge his forehead with mine. "I just want you to have nice things sometimes. You deserve them."

Muriel bunts my head in return. "I have you. And that's more than I deserve."

For someone who was the most rigid rock of a man when we first met, he could now be as smooth as sea glass. He doesn't waste words-- what he does say, I know he means. He doesn't even try to devastate me like this; he's just an honest man. And in my experience, calling that honesty "refreshing" would be an understatement. 

I run my thumb along the scar on his jaw, and guide his face down into a tender kiss. I'm met with the sweetest cocktail of cordial and fresh fruit, his breath warm and lemon-zested. I melt as he returns the kiss, moving honeyed lips against mine and cradling my neck in his surprisingly gentle hand.

He breaks first, sneaking one last peck on the bridge of my nose. I sigh and move my head onto his shoulder. "Whatever should I do with you, Muriel?"

"You could bring me another lemon."

I laugh and stand up, leaving him chuckling at the table as I grab the steaming kettle, two mugs, and a lemon for each of us.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! I'm not sure if it shows, but I haven't written like this since high school. I've had so much fun creating my own Apprentice and getting into the Arcana lore; I hope I'm not too far off the mark. I've been obsessed with The Arcana for the past month (one of the few gifts of quarantine), and this stoic boy has stolen my heart (thank you, otome games).
> 
> If I stick this out, I'd love to eventually take requests for more Muriel/Tamar vignettes!
> 
> Stay tuned for more wholesome content!


End file.
